


when the devil calls (you answer)

by Binxxx



Series: The Devil All the Time [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: 90's Nostalgia, 90's version of Tinder is anonymous phone calls from strangers, BAMF Haruno Sakura, Consent is Sexy, Dialogue from Scream (1996), Dirty Talk, Elements of Halloween, Elements of Scream, Elements of When a Stranger Calls, Enthusiastic Consent, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, GaaSaku Retro Event, GaaSaku Spooky Week, Gaara is a stalker but he's a gentleman, Gaara is the Devil, Hades!Gaara, Halloween Night, Haruno Sakura & Yamanaka Ino Friendship, Inspired by Hades and Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Masturbation, Movie: Halloween (1978), Movie: Scream (1996), Movie: When a Stranger Calls (1979), Oral Sex, Outdoor Sex, Persephone!Sakura, Phone Sex, Reincarnation, Stalking, stalker au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:21:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27288577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Binxxx/pseuds/Binxxx
Summary: “Hello,” he said, his hand stretched towards her. Extended to greet her, to be respectful, but as she stared at his palm, she couldn’t help but feel that she was about to make a deal with the devil.And then she took it and shook it anyway. The devil be dammed.↳ GaaSaku, Retro Event & Spooky Week: devil/Hades!Gaara + Persephone!Sakura + slasher movies + landlines + VHS's + brick cellphones
Relationships: Gaara/Haruno Sakura
Series: The Devil All the Time [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2065932
Comments: 22
Kudos: 127





	when the devil calls (you answer)

**Author's Note:**

> This is a prompt fill for GaaSaku Retro Week & Spooky Week 2020. As always, this work is dedicated to Seltap.
> 
> Anyway, Happy Halloween.

The cold October air felt wonderful on Sakura’s exposed legs as she shuffled to the front steps of her porch. The baby pink satin robe she wore did little to help with the chilly weather.

Sakura pulled a bowl off the stone steps. She had emptied an entire bag of candy into the black-cat themed bowl hours ago, and still, the bowl sat mostly full, only a few pieces missing, the candy having been spared the frenzy of being pillaged by dozens of ravenous trick-or-treaters. The notebook paper taped to the bowl in her pretty cursive handwriting read: _Happy Halloween from the Haruno family!_ Not many of the trick-or-treaters of Konoha made it out this far into the rural parts of the city.

Sakura sighed that sadly, once again, another Halloween was drawing to an end. The few trick-or-treaters that found their way onto her street were now nonexistent. She could faintly make out a black silhouette far into the distance, mingling on the sidewalk, but it seemed that the lively Halloween revelers had finally retired for the night. Her parent’s neighborhood was undoubtedly well-off, and the privacy afforded to them with such a big property was a huge selling point for them, but it also meant that they didn’t get much Halloween foot traffic. Their neighborhood had very few streetlights and the homes were very far apart. The roads on the street were bumpy and on one side, it was surrounded by empty grassy fields that stretched off into darkness. In her neighborhood, the sky looked inkier and the stars were more visible, and on the verges, in the woods, the leaves hung greener, glassier. When it rained, the dew would give a beautiful sparkle to the wildlife. The ruralness of her neighborhood and her part of town was something she learned most people looked for when wanting to settle down. Plush forests, starry sky’s unobscured by fluorescent lights, complete and utter privacy, and the escape from the loud city noises were the things of dreams.

Sakura picked up the candy bowl and marched up the steps towards her door, but she turned around to eye the street again. Even though her neighbors were a kilometer or so away, Sakura could see the distinct shape of long strips of toilet paper hanging off some trees and floating very gently in the breeze. She rolled her eyes. The few children who made it out here this year had probably seen that they hadn’t put out candy again. Her green eyes moved from the hanging strips of tissue and onto the moon. A full moon on Halloween was already such a rare occurrence, but this year, for the first time in over twenty years, there sat the full blood-orange Hunter’s moon. The holiday was already scary enough, but the added element of the bizarre astronomical spectacle made the night even more unnerving. The bewitching orange moon proudly shone for its audience of one.

A chilly breeze caught her again and she shivered. Quickly, Sakura closed and locked her front door. Tossing the candy bowl onto the side entrance table, her fingers greedily dug into the pile, looking for a chocolate bar. She happily chewed on the treat as she walked towards the living room.

Sakura threw her robe onto the sofa. Her pajamas matched her robe, a delicate pink satin camisole with matching tiny pink shorts. The phone that sat on the side coffee table rang. Sakura moved to answer it.

“Hello?”

“ _Hey, kiddo. How goes it_?” The voice belonged to her father, Kizashi.

“Hey, dad. Everything here is fine.”

“ _Any trick-or-treaters come around?_ ”

Sakura twirled the phone cord around her finger. “Only a few. The bowls still almost completely full. I just brought it in.”

“ _You sure you don’t wanna leave it out a while longer? I don’t want you to wake up tomorrow morning and find the house egged again_.”

She eyed the clock on the wall above the television. “Dad it’s past ten here, all of the kids are gone.”

“ _If you say so. If I come home to find the house covered in yolk and eggshells, you’re the one cleaning it._ ” Her father laughed.

Sakura laughed sarcastically along with her father. “How’s the vacation so far? Is mom enjoying her birthday trip?”

She heard her father shuffle, and his voice came slightly lower than before. “ _You know your mother; she doesn’t do fun like I do fun. I don’t think she even knows what it is_.”

In the background, Sakura faintly heard her mother say, “ _I heard that, Kizashi_.”

Kizashi laughed nervously. “ _No, you didn’t sweetie_.” Sakura heard more shuffling and the sound of a door closing. “ _Anyways, you’ve locked all the doors right, kiddo? You still remember how to work our alarm? I know it’s been a while since you’ve been there, but the alarm isn’t that tricky anymore since we replaced it_.”

“Dad.”

“ _Remember that the alarm code is your birthday: 0328_.”

“Dad.”

“ _And please watch the stove carefully if you cook. I don’t want you to start another fire in the house. The one you started in high-school nearly cost me my kitchen_.”

“Dad.” 

Kizashi groaned. “ _You know I hate it when you don’t listen to me when I go on my tangents Sakura_.”

Sakura rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help but smile. “You’ve been gone only two days. I’m not going to forget everything in two days.” Not to mention, that on the slim chance she did forget something, there was an almost two-page long instruction manual written by her father posted on the fridge door.

Kizashi sighed. “ _You know I just worry about you. You’re my favorite child_.”

The roseate softened at her father’s words. “I’m your only child, dad.”

“ _Which is why I worry. You’re the only one I’ve got to carry on the family name_!”

She giggled. “You don’t need to worry. I’m fine.”

Her father didn’t skip a beat. “ _Hi fine, I’m dad_.”

There was a long pause and finally, “I’m hanging up now.”

Kizashi let out a deep bellied laugh. “ _Thank you again for house sitting. Bye kiddo, I’ll call again tomorrow. Be safe please_.”

Wishing her father goodbye, she hung up the phone. Sakura let out a held breath. She put the phone back onto the receiver and turned to scrutinize her father’s VHS collection next to the television, trying to find something suitable to watch. Her fingers trailed over a horror movie when the phone rang again.

Sakura pressed her lips together as she picked up the phone. “Yes, dad?”

There was silence for several seconds. Finally, an unfamiliar deep and raspy voice said, “ _I’m not your father_.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Sakura said while furrowing her brow. “Who is this?”

“ _Who is this_?” the voice repeated.

“I asked you first.”

“ _And I asked you second_.”

Sakura rolled her eyes, tapping her finger on the wooden bookshelf. “Are you trying to reach this number? Or someone at this number?”

“ _I don’t know, I’m not really sure_ …” the voice said.

“Then I think you’ve got the wrong number. Bye.” Sakura punctually hung up the phone.

Sakura turned to look at the films again when the phone promptly rang again.

“Hello?” she said, pulling out a VHS to inspect the cover.

“ _I’m sorry_ ,” came the same raspy voice. “ _I dialed the wrong number again_.”

Sakura scoffed and smiled. “So, why dial it again?”

“ _To apologize_.”

His voice was so sure of itself, cocky even, and Sakura smirked. She placed the movie cassette on top of the television. “How thoughtful of you. You’re forgiven. Bye—”

“ _Wait—don’t hang up. I want to talk to you_.”

“They’ve got 900 numbers for that. Bye now.”

She ended the call and skipped her way towards the kitchen. Sakura bent over to inspect the contents of her parent’s fridge. Her cooking skills were adequate at best, and the last time she tried to cook something in this kitchen she had almost burned the entire house down. Not finding anything in the fridge, she turned to the cupboards, and her search of the pantry yielded a box of popcorn. Sakura threw the bag into the microwave and set it for three minutes.

Sakura leaned over the island of the kitchen and she jumped when the cordless phone next to her rang once again. Sakura moved around the island to answer.

“Hello?” she said, her voice sounding exasperated.

The same cocky and raspy voice from earlier answered her. “ _Why don’t you want to talk_?”

Sakura scoffed and looked up at the ceiling. “I don’t know you. Who is this?”

“ _Tell me your name first and I’ll tell you mine_ ,” the voice teased.

“I don’t think so. I don’t give my name to strangers,” Sakura teased back.

The voice laughed. “ _What if I give you my name first then? Will you give me yours after_?”

Sakura leaned onto the counter with her hip, stopping to ponder his question. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

He chuckled again. “ _So even if I gave my full name and address, there’s no guarantee you’ll give me yours_?”

Sakura smiled. “Exactly.”

“ _Fair_ ,” the voice said, “So, _how do you find yourself on this Halloween night_?”

Sakura sighed and drummed her fingers on the cold granite. She decided to play along for the moment. “Making popcorn and about to watch one of my dad’s old cheesy horror films.”

“ _That sounds like an appropriate thing to do on Halloween. What’s your favorite scary movie_?”

She ponders his questions and she shrugged. “I don’t really have one. Do you have a favorite scary movie?”

“ _I’ve never been interested in movies. I prefer real life to fiction_.”

The answer surprises her. “Well, that makes two of us then.” She yawned, stretching out her free arm into the air, letting out a small moan.

The voice made a noise in his throat. “ _That was a nice sound_.”

His tone of voice made her blush. “I’m sorry. I just stretched.”

“ _Don’t apologize_ ,” he said slickly. “ _I won’t complain to hearing you moan like that again_.”

She could feel her cheeks burning. “You think you’re so smooth, huh?”

“ _Only with you_.” The answer came out as a purr and Sakura couldn’t help but shiver.

The microwave beeped, sparing Sakura the embarrassment of having to answer him. She balanced the phone in-between her ear and shoulder to grab the popcorn inside.

“ _Sounds like your popcorn is done_.”

Sakura hummed in agreement. “Yeah, it is.” She dropped the burning hot bag onto the counter. She held the phone in her hand as she searched the cabinets for a large bowl.

“ _So_ ,” the voice started. “ _Are you watching the movie all by yourself? No boyfriend to keep you company on this frightening night_?”

Sakura shook the bag of popcorn into a red plastic bowl. “Yeah, I’m watching it alone. And why do you ask?” she laughed. “Do you want to ask me out on a date?”

“ _It all depends on whether you have a boyfriend or not_.”

Sakura exhaled at his statement. “No, I don’t have one. Boyfriends are overrated. What about you, are you seeing someone?”

The voice hummed. “ _I’m not dating anyone, the only person I’m seeing is you_ ,” he laughed at his own joke. “ _I take it you’ve had some bad experiences then_?”

“Yes, something along those lines.”

“ _He didn’t deserve you. Whoever he was, he was a fool_.”

His tone of voice was so blunt and serious, Sakura actually faltered. She bit her lip to keep a wide smile from overtaking her face. “Thank you. Maybe you’re right.”

“ _I know I’m right_.” His voice was honeyed and so incredibly appealing, Sakura found herself closing her eyes to silently appreciate it.

“Has anyone ever told you that you have a nice voice?” Sakura questioned.

“ _No. Not until you_ ,” he answered.

She found that extremely hard to believe. “Why don’t I believe you?”

“ _Because you don’t know me. If you knew me, you would know I don’t lie_.”

Sakura opened her fridge to grab the butter. “Are you trying to get me interested in learning your name?” she teased.

“ _Maybe. Is it working_?”

Sakura stuck her tongue out while smiling. “Maybe.” She used a knife to scrape a good chunk of butter into a cup, then placing said cup into the microwave to melt it.

“Can I ask you something?” Sakura said after a long stretch of silence.

“ _Anything you want_.”

“Why are you calling me? Did you really get the wrong number or are you just bored?”

He exhaled into the phone. “ _Would you believe me if I told you I was just lonely_?”

His answer surprised her. She knew the feeling of loneliness all too well. Her dating life had been nonexistent, and while her friends provided her with fun and fulfilling camaraderie, she desired a different kind of companionship. And while she desired romance, for the longest time, Sakura felt something else missing, but whatever else was absent she had no way of knowing.

“I believe you,” Sakura started. “I’ve been pretty lonely too.”

“ _You don’t have any friends_?”

“Yes, I have friends. I just…” Sakura stopped. “I just want more, I guess.”

He made a thoughtful noise. “ _More of what_?”

“I don’t know, more of life? More of anything really. I know that doesn’t make much sense, but I know something’s missing. I feel so lonely without it, even though I don’t know what _it_ is.” Sakura stressed.

“ _I think you and I have a lot in common. I found that something has been missing from my life too, but I think I’m beginning to understand what I need now_ …”

“Do you think you’ve finally found it then?”

“ _Ah_ ,” the voice said. “ _I still haven’t gotten what I seek, so I don’t know for certain, but I’m more than confident that I’m on the right track, now so more than ever_.” 

“And what is it that you seek?” Sakura teased.

“ _When I have it, I’ll tell you_ ,” he said mysteriously. Sakura shrugged. He was entitled to his secrets. Some things were better kept private, she thought.

“Oh, so you and I will be speaking after tonight?”

“ _I’m hopeful for that, yes. You’ve been far better company than anyone else I know_.”

His response made her grin. “Maybe we can be lonely together,” she said.

“ _That sounds like a plan_.”

The microwave beeped. Sakura pulled the cup out of the microwave. Finding the butter not enough for her popcorn, she threw another chunk in and placed the cup back in to melt.

Sakura had a thought and she ran her fingers through her hair. “Do you usually call random strangers wanting to talk when you’re lonely? My loneliness hasn’t gotten be there yet…”

“ _No, this is the first time I’ve ever done this_.”

“And how are you finding the experience?”

“ _Very enjoyable_ ,” he crooned.

She smiled into the phone. “I guess you found the right person to speak with tonight.”

“ _I’ve known you were the right person the moment you answered the phone_.”

And there he went again with the compliments. Sakura squirmed against the counter, unsure of how to answer him.

He didn’t wait this time for her to speak. “ _Will you tell me your name now_?”

“Why do you want to know my name so badly?” Sakura asked. She pulled the salt from the spice rack, sprinkling it onto her popcorn. The microwave beeped again, but this time, she ignored it.

“ _I want to put a name to the voice_.”

Sakura sighed. “Tell me yours first and I’ll tell you mine.”

“ _My name is Gaara_ ,” he purred.

“Gaara,” she said, trying the name out on her lips. The name gave her the strangest sense of déjà vu, but Sakura couldn’t place the name anywhere.

“ _I’ve never given much thought to how my name sounds, but in your mouth, it sounds like paradise_ ,” Gaara commented.

“Are you always this much of a flirt?” Sakura asked. She checked her face in the metallic reflection of the toaster. She was beginning to turn the shade of a nicely ripe tomato.

“ _No. My brother can attest to that. I don’t flirt_.”

“Then why are you doing it now?”

“ _Because you’re special_.”

Sakura didn’t know how to respond once again. She dumbly tucked her chin closer to her chest and close her eyes. He couldn’t see her, but the embarrassment she felt was too real to contain. 

"Sakura.”

“ _What_?” he said.

She wanted to knock herself upside the head for not better explaining herself. “Uh— that’s my name. My name is Sakura.” She cringed at how unsure she sounded about her own name.

“ _Sakura_ ,” he whispered in that low sexy voice. “ _A beautiful name for such a beautiful girl._ ”

She giggled, shaking her head incredulously. As if he could know what she looked like based on her name. Sakura pursed her lips. “Careful Gaara, flattery might get you everywhere.”

He chuckled. “ _Here’s hoping_.”

The microwave beeped again, and she quickly pulled it open. She poured the butter over her popcorn, and as she poured, she got a naughty idea. “So Gaara,” she began. “What are you wearing?”

The laugh he let out sounded surprised, untroubled, and Sakura liked the sound of it. “ _I thought you said they had 900-numbers for this kind of thing_?”

She pouted. “Well if that’s what you’re going to say I’ll gladly hang up and let you call one of those numbers instead. Or would you like me to charge you? I’m five dollars for the first minute and fifty cents for each additional minute,” she teased.

Gaara hummed. “ _I just don’t think it matters what I’m wearing. The only thing that matters is what you’re wearing on that gorgeous body of yours. Or rather, what you shouldn’t be wearing_ …”

She felt the blush warm up her neck and cheeks instantly. The way he said it, so earnest, so confidently, like it had to be a truth of the universe, made her shiver.

“What makes you think I have a gorgeous body?”

“ _Because you do_.”

Sakura didn’t feel in control of her own body. His decadent voice spoke to a secret longing inside of her, that up until that point, she didn’t even know existed.

"I…" she drifted off, completely tongue-tied.

“ _If I asked you to make that same noise from earlier, would you_?” he interjected. 

"Excuse me?" she demanded.

“ _That moan you let out earlier_ ,” he explained. “ _The one you made when you stretched. I want to hear it again_.”

“I don’t think that’s appropriate…” Sakura struggled to get the words out.

“ _Weren’t you the one who just asked me what I was wearing?_ ”

Sakura faulted. “I m-mean, y-yes. I did,” Sakura stumbled over her words. “But I was only joking.”

“ _But what if I’m not joking?_ ” he said.

His voice was so intense she had to catch her breath. In the heat of the moment, she stayed quiet.

“ _Sakura, what if I’m not joking?_ ” he repeated.

Sakura licked her lips. Her heart was thumping loudly in her ears and the pulsing between her legs was insistent. She didn’t even think about it before she said, “I’d be okay with it if you weren’t joking.”

She imagined he had a huge smirk on his face when he said, “ _Will you touch yourself then?_ ”

Sakura knew this was stupid, but she never claimed to be smart. And she also wondered why she wasn’t feeling offended or objectified by his crude request.

“What do I get out of this if I do?”

“ _My complete devotion and loyalty_.” His voice no longer held the same teasing mirth from before, now, his tone was deadly serious.

Sakura let out a breath. She nodded dumbly even though he couldn’t see her. “Okay.”

The pinkette quickly abandoned her popcorn on the kitchen counter, instead choosing to make her way back towards the living room. She dimmed the lights, giving the room a sultry ambiance.

“I’ve never done this before…” Sakura whispered into the phone. She settled herself on the sofa, stretching her legs out and leaning onto the plush pillows behind her.

“ _Neither have I_.”

“Why don’t I believe you again? You seem to know all the right things to say and how to say them.” She didn’t want to mention how he also managed to persuade her into doing this with very little effort. She told herself this would be completely harmless because phone sex didn't really count as real sex. 

“ _I don’t lie. I’ve never wanted to do this with anyone but you, Sakura_.”

“You say that like you know me.”

“ _I don’t but I would like the opportunity to do so. The pleasure of your company sounds like it would be intoxicating_.”

Sakura gulped. “Remember what I said about flattery?”

“ _That it might get me everywhere_?”

“Yes,” she breathed into the phone. “What do I do?”

" _Are you lying down_?"

“I am.’’

“ _Are you still dressed_?” he prompted.

“Yes.”

" _What are you wearing_?" he said, so low she felt it vibrating through her body.

She looked down at the very skimpy pink set she had on. “I have on a pink camisole with matching shorts.”

“ _Is it satin_?”

“Mhm.”

" _If you let me, I would tear it off with my teeth. Now do this for me_ ," he instructed, his voice a delicious low purr. “ _Take off your blouse and touch your chest_.”

Sakura put the phone down to slide the delicate pink straps down her arms. The flowy camisole pooled around her waist instantly, exposing her chest to the chilly air. She picked the phone back up and put it to her ear.

"How would you like me to touch myself?” she asked, her voice sultry in a way she’d never heard it before. It gave her goosebumps.

Gaara chuckled. “ _Don’t act coy now. You know what I want from you and what I want is for you to play with your breasts, Sakura_.”

She didn’t need to be told twice but she had wanted to hear his sexy voice command her. She pinched her nipple and the ache felt incredible.

“ _I don’t hear you making any noise, Sakura_ ,” Gaara growled.

She whimpered. She jammed the phone between her shoulder and ear so she could fondle both her breasts. Her cold fingers pulled and pinched the sensitive tips, and she wished he was doing this instead of her.

There was an appreciative rumble at the whines she was letting out. " _Good, now run your fingers down your stomach_."

She followed his instructions. Sakura’s fingers moved swiftly down her body; her skin felt like it was on fire.

“ _Now take off your shorts and underwear.”_

She wiggled out of her shorts and panties, tossing them over the headrest of the house as her hand found her clit.

Fuck. She was dripping. 

“ _Spread your legs and fuck yourself with your fingers_.”

She did as he commanded. Her legs were spread on the couch, and her fingers buried as deep as she could get them inside her pussy. She pumped them in a steady rhythm, rubbing her clit with her thumb. Her fingers felt good, but they weren't long enough to hit that spot inside of her and the stretch wasn't nearly enough to satisfy her.

Sakura imagined his fingers would be thicker and longer and stronger than hers. They'd feel better. She _knew_ they would. And his cock would be even better than that. She whimpered at the thought of him fucking her. Her walls clenched as she imagined him.

“ _I wish I was there with you_ ,” he whispered into the phone.

She whined. “Y-yes.”

In the moment, as she continued to pump her fingers into herself, his breath stuttered.

" _Fuck_ ,” he cursed. " _I wish I was inside of you right now_." His voice was rough and deep and like liquid pleasure being pumped into her veins. 

He sounded so _good_. 

She wanted to cry out in exasperation.

He was so close and yet so far. He was there, on the other side of the phone, but presumably miles away, imagining how tight and slick she'd be for him. She wished she could show him. Have him here and slide him inside of her— put them both out of this pleasurable misery.

Gaara continued to whisper into her ear and her fingers kept moving but the frustration quickly took over. She wanted to know what he sounded like on the edge of ecstasy, what he looked like when he was about to orgasm.

" _Are those fingers filling you up? Or are they not enough? Are you fucking yourself good for me, Sakura_?" His breathing was erratic, and he was starting to sound desperate, but he also sounded cocky in a confident way that had her dripping. " _You're so beautiful. I want you so bad_." 

"I want you too," she gasped as she brushed against her clit. "But I can’t do this.” The spell was broken. She knew she wouldn’t be able to finish like this.

His tone sounded surprised—he was caught off guard by her response. “ _What’s wrong_?”

She whimpered, removing her hand from between her legs. “This isn’t enough, Gaara. I can’t cum like this.”

He made a noise of understanding. “ _I’m sorry. I would take good care of you if I were there. I’d make you cum all over my tongue, fingers, and cock so much you’d beg me to stop_.”

Sakura bit her lip to keep from screaming. She wanted that exact thing too. "You don’t know how much I want that," she whined. She was upset, unhappy really, that she wasn’t able to get completely into it.

“ _Would you like me to come over then?_ ” the question was loaded, and she could tell he was eager for her consent. If she said yes, she would break the illusion. He would be a real person, and this would no longer be anonymous. She didn’t know if she was ready for something like that. Yes, she was annoyed that he wasn’t here, but that didn’t mean inviting him over was a good idea… or was it?

“Are you suggesting I invite a complete stranger into my home to have sex with me on Halloween night? Doesn’t that sound the tiniest bit absurd? Dangerous even?” 

“ _You were just touching yourself to the sound of my voice and to my instruction. I think we are past absurdity_ ,” he commented.

Sakura cringed at how harshly he put it. “I guess, but I don’t know you. How do I know you’re not some psycho murderer?”

 _"The last thing I would want to do to you is kill you_ ,” he leered.

Sakura scoffed. “You aren’t doing yourself any favors right now.”

He let out a sigh. “ _Call someone. Tell a friend you’re inviting me over. Do you have caller-ID?_ ” he asked.

Her parents did in-fact have caller-ID, having invested in the latest phone model last year. The kitchen phone didn’t have a screen, so she reached over the coffee table to press a button on the corded living room phone receiver. And sure enough, on the tiny gray screen, there sat a phone number and his name. “Sabaku no Gaara,” she said.

“ _You have my full name and number. Give it to someone if it’ll make you feel more secure_.”

His words and tone put her more at ease, but she still had more to say. “Let’s say I do invite you, but you get here, and I get cold feet,” she proposed. “What happens then?”

“ _Nothing happens_.”

“Nothing at all?”

“ _I won’t touch you without your consent, Sakura. I’m not in the business of bedding unwilling women. Those are the actions of filth_.”

Sakura nodded in agreement. “Okay good.”

“ _What do you say then? May I come over and keep you company tonight? I’m more than glad to spend time with you with or without sex_.”

Sakura bit her lip. Only she could find herself in this kind of situation. There she was, sitting naked in her parent's living room, talking to a strange yet sexy-sounding man over the phone who was practically begging her to let him come over. He hadn’t made her feel uncomfortable in a bad sense—the uncomfortableness he inspired in her was because of her own secret longing to actually do something daring. He barely knew her, and he was already nurturing her need for adventure and danger. He would be a bad influence if she met him in real life, of that she was certain. And she was surprised to find that she didn’t care if he was.

Ino had relayed countless stories to Sakura about picking up random men at bars and taking them home within minutes of knowing them. How was this any different?

“ _Sakura?_ ” he said.

She had pepper spray in her purse and Ino’s number on speed dial. She would be smart about this. “Yes, I would like you to come over.”

He let out a long groan and she closed her eyes at the sound. “ _Give me your address_.”

Sakura prattled off her address and she began to feel the sweat gathering at the base of her neck as she did so.

“ _I’ll be there shortly. Give me twenty-five minutes_.” 

“Is it too far out of your way? I don’t want you to drive too much,” she said nervously. She suddenly had the urge to bite her nails.

He chuckled. “ _I’m actually much closer to you than you think_.”

That made Sakura turn her head. “Really? Where do you live—”

A sudden blur moved across her dark backyard and she jumped, startled at the movement. Her first instinct was to grab her clothes and climb over the sofa to hide. Sakura’s knuckles were blood-red from the death grip she had on the phone. She tried not to tremble as she peeked over the couch to look out the doors. The glass patio doors revealed her dark and foggy background, the only light coming from inside floor lights in the swimming pool.

“ _What’s wrong?_ ” he said. He must have heard her scrambling.

“I’m completely naked and I just saw something move outside in my yard. The lights were off, so it was too dark for me to see what it was,” she whispered into the phone.

“ _Get dressed and turn on the patio lights_.”

“Already doing it.”

She dropped the phone and tugged her camisole back into place and she scrambled back into her panties and shorts. Her pink robe was yanked off the sofa and she tied it hastily around her waist. The roseate picked the phone off the ground and she walked slowly to the glass doors.

Her fingers shook as she reached over to flip the switch.

The spotlights and patio lights flashed on. Sakura frantically searched through the light fog. Her eyes traveled over the gazebo and lawn chairs, the stone steps the led towards the jacuzzi, and into the thick foliage of the forest behind the pool. She continued to desperately scan for any sign of another person.

“ _Do you see anything?_ ”

Sakura shook her head. “No, nothing.”

Awareness prickled between her shoulders, and she crept back from the door. She felt like someone was watching her, and though no one was outside, and an alarm bell in her head was going off.

“ _Stay inside the house. I’ll be there soon_.” Gaara said.

“I will. I’m going to call a few friends and let them know you’re coming.”

He grunted, “ _Good. Give them all my information_.”

And with a resounding click, he hung up the phone.

Sakura suddenly felt very alone without the comfort of his voice. She pulled the curtains closed on the patio doors and the surrounding windows. She would open them when he got here.

The lights in the living room were turned up again, no longer dim, and moody. She sat down on the couch and pressed several buttons on the phone. She pressed it to her ear as it began to ring.

“ _Hello_?” Ino answered. In the background, Sakura could hear music and several people talking. Sakura vaguely remembered Ino mentioning a Halloween party sometime last week when they met for lunch. 

“Hey, Ino!”

“ _Oh, hey babe!_ ” Ino said enthusiastically. “ _Happy Halloween!_ ”

“Happy Halloween,” she repeated. “What are you doing?” Sakura asked, picking at a lonely string on her shorts.

“ _I’m at this super lame Halloween party with Sai and all his art nerd friends_ ,” Ino groaned. “ _I’m so bored_.”

Sakura laughed at her friend's pouty tone. “How is a Halloween party boring when you’re there?”

There was more groaning. “ _Believe me, I have tried everything to make this party better_ ,” she said only then to gasp. “ _Why don’t you come over? I can give you the address and you can rescue from my boredom!_ ”

Sakura grimaced at her friend's suggestion. “That’s actually why I’m calling you. I can’t. I’m house-sitting remember?”

“ _And what is that supposed to mean? That the house will suddenly disappear or burn down if you leave for a few hours to come and party with me?_ ’

Sakura rolled her eyes. “No pig. The house will be fine, but I can’t come over because…” Sakura trailed off.

" _Because?_ ”

“Because I have someone coming over…” Sakura admitted.

The screech that Ino let out over the phone made Sakura cry out in pain. She pulled the phone away from her ear as Ino continued to scream.

Sakura could hear Ino clearly even though the phone was no longer pressed to her head. “ _You’ve been talking to someone for who knows how long, and you don’t have the curtsey to tell me until now when he’s coming over to screw your brains out?_ ”

Sakura put the phone back to her ear as felt her face heat up at the thought of Ino screaming this in a room of strangers. “Ino, let me explain—”

“ _Who is he? Do I know him? Where did you meet him and how long have you been keeping this information from me?_ ” Sakura heard some shuffling and movement on her end. “ _No, Sai! I will not quiet down! This is the most fun I’ve had at this party since we got here_ —”

“Ino!” Sakura yelled into the phone. “Go outside and speak at a reasonable level or so help me god, I’ll hang up and call Hinata or Tenten to help me instead.”

The threat made her best friend shut up. “ _Give me a second_.” Sakura heard the noises of several disgruntled people cry out in annoyance as Ino likely pushed past them to get outside. The sound of a door slamming closed was audible and then, “ _Talk right now_.”

Sakura debated on whether or not she should tell her best friend the entire truth. She decided on the partial truth. “His name is Gaara. He called me with a wrong number a few weeks ago and we got to talking and things may or may not have gotten sexual after a certain point…”

The entire time she had been speaking, Ino had been gasping. “ _Sakura you naughty girl, having phone sex with strangers. I didn’t know you had it in you!_ ”

Neither did she. “Long story short, he’s coming over now. I didn’t think it would go anywhere, that’s why I didn’t say anything, but here we are. I wanted to give you his full name and number just to be safe.”

Ino hummed in agreement. “ _Smart. Give it to me. I’ll write it down in my address book_.”

Sakura recited the information to her best friend. After Ino finished writing the details down, she said, “ _So, you have no idea what he looks like? What if he’s a troll?_ ”

Sakura snorted. “I’m not as hung up on looks as you are pig,” Sakura teased. “I don’t think he’ll be a troll not when his voice was just so…” Sakura trailed off, thinking about how sultry and sensual his voice had been.

“ _You need to turn off our horny brain and think. What if you don’t like him?_ ”

“He told me if I don’t want to do anything that we won’t. He promised me he wouldn’t do anything without my explicit permission.”

Ino made a noise. “ _That’s good. Most guys won’t even give you that tiny peace of mind_.”

Sakura nodded. “He’ll be here in twenty-five minutes. What should I do?”

“ _Aside from the obvious like fixing your hair and brushing your teeth and spraying some perfume? Get your pepper spray and keep the phone nearby in case_.”

“Will do.”

“ _Oh, I know_ ,” Ino suddenly said. “ _I’ll call you once he gets there. Say ‘let’s meet for lunch tomorrow’ if you want me to call the police or want to get out of the situation_.” 

Sakura recited the phrase in her head. “Got it.”

“ _Hopefully, you won’t need to use any of that. Let’s hope he’s a super-hot guy that’ll fuck you stupid._ ”

Sakura felt the mortification seep into her skin. “Thanks, pig.”

“ _No problem babe. Go and get ready. The best-case scenario is that you get to orgasm and the worst-case scenario is that you don’t orgasm_.”

Sakura couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s the worst-case scenario? Not orgasming?”

“ _It is for me_.”

Sakura giggled and quickly wished her excited friend goodbye, making sure to promise to call her if anything changed or seemed weird about Gaara. The roseate whisked herself towards her bathroom and primped herself in the mirror. She followed Ino’s advice and combed and fluffed her pretty pink locks, she brushed her teeth, gargled mouth wash, and sprayed her clavicle and inner elbows with perfume. She also made sure to lotion her arms and legs, wanting them to feel buttery soft. She debated whether she should change her pajamas only to remember he had said he wanted to pull the satin number off with his teeth. She shivered at the thought. And as a final precaution, Sakura tucked her pepper spray into the pocket of her robe.

The roseate walked into the kitchen and found her popcorn no longer warm, instead just soggy and cold. Not wanting to bother with the hassle of reheating, she up-turned the bowl into the garbage. She tidied the kitchen as best she could before moving on to the living room. She lit a candle and fluffed the pillows, trying to channel her nervous energy into productivity instead of thinking about how long he was taking him to get to her house.

When she ran out of things to do, Sakura sat down and tapped her foot nervously. She eyed the clock. Twenty-four minutes had already passed. What if he had gotten lost? Her house was difficult to find at night without many streetlights. Sakura entertained the idea that Gaara himself had gotten cold feet, and though she didn’t know him, he didn’t seem the type to back out of anything. Had this all been a joke? What if he had been pranking her? Several thoughts raced throughout her mind only to be broken when the phone unexpectedly rang.

Sakura rushed to answer it. “Hello?”

“ _I’m outside_ ,” came a delicious rumble.

Sakura’s breathe caught in her throat. She nervously walked with the phone towards the front door. She flipped the switch for the porch lights, and with the chain still in place on the door, she opened the door a crack to look outside.

“Trick-or-Treat,” Gaara said, smirking down at her, his cellphone still held to his ear.

Her heart stuttered in her chest at his appearance.

In the dim light filtering through the small crack, she saw the man she’d been speaking to only minutes prior. Her eyes roamed over his body. He wasn’t much taller than her, only twenty centimeters or so, but he seemed to tower over her. And despite his average stature, Sakura could tell he was muscular and fit, the veins on his forearms prodding. He was wearing dark grey slacks, a tight fitted black turtleneck underneath a grey trench coat, the sleeves rolled up to the elbow, and black boots covered in mud.

Sakura was mesmerized by his facial features—he was striking. His eyes were intense and a beautiful pale blue-green. The color was accentuated by the tanuki-like black eye rings around his eyes. He had no eyebrows, and although that seemed odd, he didn’t need them. And proudly displayed on the left side of his forehead was a blood-red kanji tattoo, a symbol that meant love. His spikey red hair was parted from the left side, making the kanji more visible.

Gaara was gorgeous. She had hit the jackpot.

Sakura realized she was staring at him like a voyeur and she stammered out an apology. She also realized she was still speaking into the phone and she blushed at the playful smile he shot her. He was amused by her antics.

She unhooked the chain from the door to open it fully. His eyes roamed over her attire, seeming to drink in her being. Gaara pocketed his cellphone as he regarded her.

The reaction her body was having to him was not normal. Maybe it was the nerves or maybe it was because she was horny and the man in front of her was Adonis in the flesh.

And the tension between them felt raw and palpable.

“Hello,” he said, his hand stretched towards her. Extended to greet her, to be respectful, but as she stared at his palm, she couldn’t help but feel that she was about to make a deal with the devil.

And then she took it and shook it anyway. The devil be dammed.

“Hi.” She smiled back.

He smiled wide at her. “May I come in?” he said.

“Are you a vampire? Do you need my permission to enter?” she teased, even though she felt like her tongue weighed more than her body.

“No. I’m not a vampire…”

She pouted. “I suppose you can come in, but I see you didn’t bring any flowers or chocolates.” She moved over to let him inside, shutting the door once he had entered. He turned to look at her seriously.

“If you think I am worthy of a second meeting, then I’ll shower you with flowers and chocolate next time,” Gaara said, his face completely serious.

Sakura blushed. “I was only joking.”

Gaara nodded. “I know, but I wasn’t,” he paused to lick his lips. “I think you’ll come to find out that I don’t joke very much.” 

He stepped closer to her, and surprisingly, Sakura didn’t feel the urge to move away. “May I kiss you, Sakura?”

She resisted the impulse to let her eyes flutter closed at his voice. “Thank you for asking,” she said. “And you may.”

When his warm hands reached for her, she melted into his touch. His arms encircled her waist, and he backed her up against her front door. Their mouths melded together into one of the most erotic kisses Sakura had ever experienced.

Sakura fisted her hands into his hair, eager to keep his mouth on top of hers. His tongue stroked her own while also intensifying the drumming sensation that was throbbing in her core. She sighed against his mouth as his hand moved from her waist to grip her ass, the feeling of his calloused hands against made her stomach tighten. Her entire body felt warm and liquid and tantalizing. When he pulled at her hair to tilt her head, she bared her neck to him, letting him kiss his way down to the sensitive spot beneath her ear. He bit it softly and she let out a moan.

She could feel him, thick and hard, and pressing at the juncture of her legs, and knowing how much he wanted her made her want him even more. In a surprising act of self-confidence, she dislodged one of her hands from his hair to trail it down his chest to his groin, where she grabbed his hard cock through his trousers.

He hissed. Gaara pulled away from her neck, backing up completely, and Sakura looked up at him, puzzled. “Did I do something wrong? Did I go too far?” she asked, worried. She hadn’t thought of the possibility that she herself could make him uncomfortable, that she could push him to do things he didn’t want to.

His hair was in complete disarray from her hands. He shuffled to adjust himself in his pants awkwardly, the noticeable tent had to be uncomfortable in the stiff fabric. “No, Sakura,” he shook his head. “I don’t think you understand how easy you make it for me to get carried away with you. I want to savor this,” he said, making to put extra emphasis on ‘savor’.

That made Sakura feel better. “Oh,” was all she said. “Can I kiss you again then?”

Gaara smirked. “You don’t need to ask. The answer to that question will always be yes.”

Emboldened, she jumped onto him, and he caught her. She dragged her nails up his neck and into his hair, gripping it more tightly than before and tilting his head back for another kiss. He hummed hungrily against her mouth, and then his hands were holding steady on her ass, keeping her up and on him. As soon as he'd pulled her off her feet, he looped his arms under her ass and pushed her up against the door again. Sakura broke their kiss, adjusting herself so she was gripping him with her legs, hands falling from his hair to circle his neck as he panted.

She started to grind her core into him, trying to urge him to grind with. Her greedy fingers were trying to make their way under his shirt when and he groaned again. “Sakura,” he said in a chastising tone. “You don’t like to listen, do you?”

She pouted at his teasing face. “I just want to touch you.”

“And you’ll get plenty of opportunities to do so. Let’s relax for a moment.”

Gaara carefully placed her back on the ground and he removed his trench coat and his shoes. She promptly took his coat from him to hang it on the coat stand by her door and put his boots into the cubby next to her own. He quietly thanked her, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. His stance, for the first time, looking slightly nervous. Sakura’s eyes traveled down his pale, but shapely biceps and she gulped. His turtleneck wasn’t long-sleeved, instead, it was sleeveless. She looked up at him incredulously.

“Aren’t you cold in that?”

He shrugged. “I don’t mind the cold. I actually relish the opportunity to be in the cold,” he winked at her. “I’m usually in much warmer temperatures than this.” With his lighthearted tone and facial expression, Sakura felt she wasn’t in on the joke.

Sakura moved forward. “Would you like me to show you around the house?”

He titled his head and offered her his hand. “That would be very gracious of you.”

She smiled and took his hand, tugging him down the hallway. Sakura took Gaara through the kitchen, dining room, and to her favorite spot, the reading room filled to the ceiling with books that Sakura mentioned belonged to her mother, all the while talking his ear off. He listened to her speech, looking thoughtful and attentive, as she explained away the superfluous details of the house to him. They looped back around, stopping briefly for Sakura to show him the guest bathroom, before finally settling into the living room.

Gaara eyed the TV and the lonely VHS sitting on top of it before he looked back at her. “Never started watching the movie, did you?”

Sakura bit her lip. “Not really, no.” She looked up at him coly. “I got distracted.”

The redhead blew air out of his nostrils. “Would you like to watch it now? To put you more at ease?”

The last thing she wanted to do was watch a movie when in her living room stood the sexiest man Sakura had ever seen, but she didn’t want to come off too strong, least she make a fool of herself or make him uncomfortable, so she agreed and went to load the cassette into the VCR. Gaara made himself comfortable on the sofa, sitting with his legs spread, his arms crossed over his chest. She could feel his eyes traveling over her body as she leaned over the television.

A few moments later Sakura found herself next to Gaara, the lights in the living room off, watching one of her father’s vintage slasher movies. She had sat close enough to him that their thighs were touching. She felt his fingers skate up her knee to tickle her. “Have you seen this movie before?”

He shook his head. “No, can’t say I have. What’s it about?”

Her viridian eyes looked up at him. “About some weird guy who stalks some babysitter on Halloween night.”

Gaara huffed out a small chuckle and Sakura tilted her head. “What’s funny?”

“Just the absurdity.”

Sakura tried her best to pay attention to the movie, but the opening credits did nothing to distract her from the persistent hum her body was having in reaction to Gaara’s presence. She felt electrified in his company and her fingers itched to touch him. They were only five minutes into the movie, and she had already had enough.

In the end, she couldn’t stop herself, and she trailed her hand up his thigh.

“Sakura?” Gaara questioned, but his face betrayed his true emotion. He was excited.

She pretended to act innocent. “Yes?”

Her stunt got her what she wanted. He pulled her roughly into his lap, her legs straddling him, her crotch pressed up against his hard groin. Gaara kissed her hard, his hand fisting into her hair, the other gripping her ass roughly.

Sakura’s brain didn’t know how to function. She had never felt so desired in her life and granted, she’d never officially had a boyfriend, but this was something else completely. This felt intoxicating, all-consuming—she felt like she could happily drown in this man.

Drowning never sounded so appealing.

The movie continued to play in the background, but neither one of them noticed, the couple too wrapped up with each other to care.

Sharp teeth nipped at her lower lip, and she opened her mouth to let his tongue stroke hers. She started a slow grind in his lap, moving her hips in a circle on his obvious erection.

The hand in her hair moved down her left flank, likely trying to imagine what her body looked like underneath the flouncy satin. His fingers caught on something bumpy and he pulled away to look up at her. He palmed the oddly shaped object in the pocket of the robe. “What is this?”

Sakura flushed. “Oh.” She pulled out the pepper spray. “I grabbed it just-in-case.” She resisted the urge to grimace. She was trying to fuck this man and he went and found her pepper spray on her person. What a mood-killer.

The redhead shook his head. “Don’t look sorry, Sakura. You’re keeping yourself safe. If it makes you feel more comfortable having it on you, I understand.”

How did he know what to say to her? How did he know the right buttons to push?

She tossed the can onto the coffee table. “I don’t think I’ll need it anymore.”

Gaara shot her a genuine smile and she wanted to swoon. He was so handsome. “I’m glad I don’t make you feel uncomfortable.”

Oh, he made her feel uncomfortable, just not in the sense he was referring to. The relentless throbbing between her legs was a testament to that statement. 

He fingered the ties of her satin pink robe. “May I?”

She did it for him. Untying the sash and letting the robe fall off her shoulders and onto the floor. Both of his hands encircled her waist, using them to her chest closer to his face. He peppered kisses on her clavicle and cleavage, but he never strayed below the hem of her camisole.

“Y-you can take it off,” Sakura whispered. “If you want to.”

The thin straps of her blouse were being delicately pulled down her arms when the phone unexpectedly rang. Gaara paid the ringing no mind, preoccupied with the newly exposed flesh in front of him.

Sakura’s right hand held his head to her chest while her left frantically searched the couch for the phone. “Hello?” she sounded breathless when she finally found the obnoxious device.

“ _Is he there?_ ” Ino asked.

Sakura watched his tongue trail over the swell of her breast, and she nodded dumbly into the phone. “Uh-huh…”

“ _And?_ ” Ino stressed. “ _Is he a loser? Do you need to use your code phrase?_ ”

Gaara’s sea-foam green eyes stayed locked on hers as he sucked the tip of her breast into his mouth. “A-ah! No, Ino. Definitely not.”

“ _He’s definitely not a loser or you definitely don’t need to use your code word?_ ”

“Both. Everything is fine—” she cut herself off by moaning loudly. Gaara had softly bitten her nipple before suckling the tip hard.

“ _Oh my god, you’re revolting. You’re having sex while on the phone with me!_ ” Ino shrieked noisily into the phone.

“Goodbye, Ino,” Sakura breathed into the phone. She hung up, not giving her best friend a chance to say anything else, and she made sure to fling the phone far away from her, so it wouldn’t disrupt them anymore.

Gaara hummed around her breast. “Who was that?”

“A concerned friend wanting to make sure I wasn’t being murdered.”

He didn’t answer her, choosing to suck on the breast he had neglected instead. His tongue swirled around her nipple, softly biting it.

“Gaara,” she moaned.

He shuddered underneath her. Saying his name seemed to have an earth-shattering effect on the man, so she breathed it out again and again, and his reaction was wonderful. He continued to fondle her breasts with his tongue and teeth, but he was trembling, and the erection straining against her was begging him for attention.

Gaara pulled away from her chest, and the look on his face could have been defined as crazed. His eyes were wide, and he was panting. “I want to try something,” he said.

That wasn’t what Sakura was expecting him to say. “Like what?”

He nodded his head towards the curtained patio doors. “I’d like to continue this outside.”

Sakura shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t know…” she said. “Isn’t it too cold?”

He kissed her lips softly, and he pulled back enough to whisper against her lips, “I promise to keep you warm.”

She shuddered. “I saw something outside before you got here. What if a trick-or-treater jumped my fence to be a voyeur? I also don’t fancy the idea of being attacked by a wild animal while having sex.”

“There’s no one here but you and me, Sakura. When I got here the streets were empty. No other cars or people were around.”

“And how can you be sure?”

“Trust me,” he said. “I would never willingly put you in a situation that would cause you harm.”

Sakura hated how much her body responded to his voice and to his words. He was something straight out of a romance novel. There was no way this man was real.

“Why do you want to go outside?” Sakura asked, running her fingers through his spikey hair.

“Do you want to pass on the opportunity for me to make love to you under the full moon and the stars? The night is perfect. Not a cloud in the sky.”

When he said things it like that, Sakura certainly saw the appeal, and she nearly gave in right then and there, but Sakura still wasn’t fully convinced. “What about the thing I saw move? What if there’s still something out there? A pervy kid or an animal?”

Gaara chucked at her serious face. “Then let’s investigate, shall we?” He patted her ass and motioned for her to move. Sakura stood up, and before she got a chance to right her top, he fixed it for her.

“Do you have a flashlight?”

She nodded. Hand in hand, the couple went towards the kitchen and Sakura dug around one of the drawers for the flashlight. They made their way back to the living room, Gaara stopping to pick up one of the plush throw blankets and pillows from the sofa. He handed them to her, taking the flashlight from her.

Gaara pulled the curtains back from the doors and looked around the lit yard. The patio lights were still on from earlier but neither one of them saw anything strange. The grassy area off to the right side of the house and the pool was the only section that didn’t have much light. He pulled the door open, and with his hand still holding hers, he led her through the yard.

He flashed the light into the trees, around the gazebo, and even behind her father's tool shed, and to her chagrin, there was nothing. To appease her further, he walked through the dark grassy area, even looking over the tall fence that bordered the property. He flashed the light everywhere and found nothing odd.

The gorgeous redhead wandered back over to her, one of his hands deep in his pocket. “Nothing unusual.”

“I did see something.”

Gaara thumbed her lip. “I believe you,” he soothed. “You live behind a very dense forest, Sakura. A deer most likely jumped the fence and wandered onto the property.”

She had seen deer roaming through the woods and even on the streets in their neighborhood many times over the years, but never one on in the fenced-off yard. There was a first time for everything she supposed. She let out a deep sigh. Sakura no longer felt that same feeling of unease from earlier. The alarm inside her head had turned off long ago. She felt safe in Gaara’s company.

She poked him in the chest. “Fine, but if I see _anything_ move, I’m running inside and locking you out here.”

The grin he shot her was infectious. “That’s reasonable,” he replied. “But I promise you that it’s only you and I out here.”

The blanket and pillows were pushed into his arms. “Whatever you say. You better make this worth my while.”

He leered at her. “I will.”

They walked into the grass and it felt wonderful underneath her bare feet. Gaara laid out the blanket, throwing the pillows on top, before laying down and pulling her down with him. It was a pleasantly cool fall night, but Sakura didn’t feel any of it, not with the man next to her in such close proximity.

Gaara, flat on his back, fingers crossed over his stomach, looked up at the stars and moon but Sakura only looked at his profile. She felt hypnotized, captivated by the dark stranger who just materialized in her life out of nowhere. Feelings of attachment were easy to develop in romantic encounters, she knew that, but this was unreasonable. She didn’t want to ever let him go. 

He turned to look at her, and his fingers pressed under her chin to make her look up. The moon was breathtaking tonight, and Gaara had been right, being under the moon and stars with him was an opportunity she didn’t want to waste. She moved without thinking. Her fingers grabbed his shirt, tugging it off, and she fumbled the with button and zipper of his pants. Gaara pushed her hands away to do it himself, and he kicked off the material, leaving him only in a pair of black fitted boxers.

His body was unreal. He had a broad chest and shoulders and a lean and trim waist that had her mouth salivating. His stomach and abs were refined and sculpted to perfection. He had very little hair on his body except for a sparse trail of red hair on his pelvis leading to the area she wanted to see the most. Gaara’s heavenly body was evidence that he had a clear and determined disciplinary attitude. 

Sakura’s hands dragged his face towards her, successfully pulling him on top of her in the process. Gaara wrapped his own hands into her pink hair, threading his fingers through to get a firm but still gentle grip on her head. He was biting, caressing, and sucking her lower lip between his teeth but never pushing her to open her mouth to him before she does on her own. Sakura moaned against him, tightening her legs around his waist, curling her fingers into his hair. He was scorching all over, singeing her skin where they were pressed together, and when he ground his hips against her core she sobbed. His lips returned to trail down her neck, pressing kisses and teeth and tongue against her sensitive skin. When he reached her collarbone, she remembered something.

“Don’t you want to rip my clothes off with your teeth?” she teased.

Sakura could feel his growing smile against her skin. Gaara pulled back, pressing their foreheads together. He flashed her a toothy smile. “I’ve wanted to do that since the moment I saw you.”

Without any warning, his teeth ripped the straps of her camisole down her chest, over her waist and hips, and down her legs, quickly moving to discard her shorts and underwear in a similar fashion. He pulled the pink fabric down her legs too, tossing them to the side. She was panting when he pulled away, and he kissed sweetly up her bare and soft legs. Sakura was blissfully bare, and his eyes drank in her nude form. His hands dove between her thighs, separating them while Sakura bit her lip nervously, his fingers easily parting her soaked lips and finding her clit.

“You’re soaking wet,” Gaara said with a smirk as Sakura whined and writhed against him. “You are the most exquisite thing I’ve ever seen.”

Sakura didn’t even get a chance to react to his compliment because he began to rub slow circles against the swollen bundle of nerves until she was pliant and loose in his arms, then slowly, one finger slipped inside of her. It felt so right to have him inside of her body. Like he belonged there. 

Sakura whimpered. She arched into his movements, his single-digit stroking inner walls languidly. He slid in a second finger alongside the first and she clenched down around them both. The fingers piston in and out of her, his thumb moving in circles, caressing her clit.

“I’ve dreamed about you,” Gaara admitted, now working three fingers inside of her. “I’ve been looking for someone like you for a long time, and I can’t believe I’ve finally found you. You’re the woman of my dreams, Sakura.”

His words barely registered to her; she could only focus on the molten pleasure he was creating with her body. All three of his fingers curled inside her gently, rubbing along the wall of her G-spot, and Sakura nearly screamed. She slapped both her hands over her mouth—she didn’t want to make too much noise, not when they were outside.

Sakura cried into her hands when he pulled his fingers away only to sigh shakily when she felt his tongue replace them. She spread her thighs to better accommodate him, his tongue sliding up her pussy to flatten over her clit, his mouth closing over it to suck on it gently. Her hips stuttered in his hands. "Gaara,” she cried into her fist.

He pulled back and she trashed at the halt. “I want to hear you, Sakura. You’re going to scream and sob my name into the night, or I will stop, and we’ll watch the movie instead,” his voice was serious.

Sakura huffed. “What if someone hears me?”

He shook his head. “You’re going to sing my name for me and the sky. No one else will hear you but us.”

The way he worded that made it sound like the stars and moon were their willing and engrossed audience. She did as he asked, singing his name like a pray into the night. He ate her out as tears ran down her face, his fingers joining his tongue to scissor inside of her. She distinctly wondered if it was possible to die from too much pleasure. She felt like she would die if she didn’t get him inside of he soon.

“ _Please-please-please_ , stop,” she begged. “Please just fuck me.”

He rose from between her legs and shucked off his boxers. His painfully erect cock bounced free, but she only got a moment to appreciate the exciting length and girth of his length before she felt the head of his cock rub between her folds. She nearly sobbed in relief. Finally, she thought, finally she’d get what she wanted.

“When you beg like that, I’d give you anything you asked for. The world even,” Gaara growled. His low and raspy voice seemed to echo throughout the yard, coming back several times over in different hushed whispers, some of them calling her name reverently.

“Do you want the world, Sakura?” he asked, rocking his hips into hers, his cock dragging across her clit and making her whine.

“I just want you, only you Gaara,” she begged, nails digging into his back. “P-please, _please—”_

His mouth was on hers in an insistent kiss. The head of his cock pressed at her entrance and the universe fell into place as Gaara pushed into her with one, slow roll of his hips, and her eyes rolled back at the feeling of a pure blissful pressure splitting her open. Gaara hissed against her lips and she felt him bottom out.

“I’ll give you the world anyways _,”_ he growled from deep in his chest. He kept completely still for a couple of moments, wanting her to adjust to the intrusion, and she was thankful for it. Once she got used to the feeling of his cock buried inside of her, Sakura clenched around him in an invitation to start moving.

Gaara pulled out gently to rock into her. He groaned loudly at the feeling of her wet core dragging so tightly on his erection. “You are perfection,” Gaara murmured.

Sakura couldn’t disagree more. _He_ was perfection. _He_ was the one who stepped right out of her fantasies.

Slowly, he pulled back until only the head of his cock remained inside her and she whined at the feeling of aching emptiness until he leisurely filled her back up. Gaara repeated the motion over and over again until he found a rhythm that suited them both. The heavy drag of his cock stimulated places within herself she had never been able to reach with her own fingers. His thrusts began to pick up speed, and he hit something inside her that made her hiccup pathetically, and with the new steady back-and-forth of his hips, and every time he bottomed out inside of her, she swore the stars above their heads danced across her green eyes. 

Tired of him hovering over her and not kissing her, Sakura tugged on Gaara’s hair and bringing him back to her lips. They kissed desperately, their tongues moving sensually. He stopped sporadically to grind against her, stimulating her clit with the hard pressure of his pelvis. Every time he did so, she was crying against his lips and clenching her walls harder around him.

His resolve was seeming to break at her insistent noises because Gaara grabbed her legs from under her knees, forcing them back towards her head to spread her open more, and she wept as he hit new spots in her. He broke their kiss to move towards her ear. He started murmuring something in her ear, in a language she wasn’t familiar with, gold and silver dripping from his tongue. She had no way of knowing what he was saying, but she loved it anyway. 

“Oh god—please,” Sakura cried out.

Gaara made a clicking sound with his tongue and he gave her a sinister smirk. “No. Not quite, Sakura.”

His strange response didn’t deter her in the slight. Maybe she hadn’t really heard it all, not when his body was doing sinful things to her. 

Suddenly, Gaara sat up and onto his knees, bring one of her legs up with him. Using the little energy she had, Sakura stared at the place where they met, watching entranced as his cock moved in and out, her body eagerly opening up to him again and again. His balls and thighs were covered in the excess wetness she produced. The slick, wet sound of their bodies joining was intoxicating to hear as well. The dance of his muscles under his skin had her mesmerized until two fingers pushed her chin up so she’d meet his eyes.

“Cum for me, Sakura,” Gaara growled. He gave one more thrust, before his hand dove between their bodies to find the sensitive bud of her clit. 

The stroke of his rough fingers was all Sakura need for her to shatter completely. She screamed his name, tears flowing freely down her face as her entire body spasmed. Her vision swam and she could hardly breathe as her orgasm ripped through her. Gaara gave one more hard, shallow thrust before he let out a curse, his cock swelling inside her before she felt it pulse and flood her womb. Gaara dropped her leg from his shoulder, maneuvering them both around his waist. He laid his chest onto hers, her breasts pressed fiercely against his hard chest. She could feel his heart thumping quickly in time with her own.

His cock wrang out the last of his orgasm, and when he felt himself finish, he tried to pull himself out. 

“Don’t,” she whispered. “Stay inside longer.”

Gaara carefully moved her so he would stay inside of her while he got comfortable. The redhead crossed his legs to sit up atop the blanket, Sakura situated contentedly in his lap. She fluttered soft, tired kisses across his jaw, cheeks, and any available skin as she basked in the afterglow of their joining. She was relaxed and warm from the inside out. She nuzzled his neck, her eyes closing tiredly. 

Sakura felt reborn. That was the only word she knew to describe the feeling she possessed. Her entire body felt like it had been reawakened, life filling every vein, pore, and crevice inside of her. A tingling sensation thrummed just below the surface of her skin and her senses seem to be dialed all the way up— it was sensory overload. The overwhelming feel made her dizzy. 

A minute or two later, his erection grew soft and fell out of her, and Sakura tried to get off of him, no longer feeling boneless, but he kept her firmly in place.

“You need to rest,” he scolded gently, although there was a smile on his face.

That confused Sakura. “Why?”

“You’ve been through a lot.”

Sakura snorted. “I don’t want to diminish your skill and talent because, _holy shit_ , that was incredible, but I don’t think having an intense orgasm means I can’t move on my own, Gaara.”

Gaara shrugged. “Fine,” he let her go and when she tried to move back to sit up on her own, her legs collapsed underneath her. Her entire body felt boneless and sensitive, and she felt a peculiar pulsation all throughout her, but she attributed that to the powerful orgasm she had just experienced.

She grinned sheepishly at him. “I’ll just stay here then.”

They sat there catching their breath. Sakura looked up to the sky while Gaara regarded her craftily. After a few moments of staring, he said, “Do you fear the reaper, Sakura?”

His odd question wasn’t as concerning as she would have normally thought. He seemed to like asking disconcerting questions, but she was beginning to piece together what kind of person Gaara was, and she weirdly found comfort in his strangeness. The eccentric man was equal parts mysterious, bizarre, polite, and caring—she could get used to him. Maybe she already was.

She shook her head. “No, I don’t,” she stated softly. “I don’t want to die prematurely but I know it’s a part of life. I don’t fear something that holds no malice towards me. Death holds no prejudice; it comes for us all in the end."

He nodded in understanding, his face looking deep in thought.

“Does that answer your question, weirdo?”

“Yes, it does. Thank you.”

In the end, Gaara, clad in only his boxers, had to carry her inside the house (also not bothering to dress her either) because her body still didn’t want to cooperate with her. He left their clothes on the lawn, promising her that he would come to pick them up later. With her instruction, Gaara made them popcorn and brought it to her. The living room was dark, the movie once again playing on the television, and they tried to watch it. The keyword was _tried_.

Gaara had maneuvered the pinkette into his lap, and she fed him popcorn lovingly. He would stare deep into her eyes before taking the buttery treat, along with her fingers, into his mouth. He sucked on her digits, before letting go, and chewing the popcorn.

And that was how she found herself riding him, with the help of his hands on her waist to move her, and her own hands twisting the short hair of his nape while he tongued her breasts.

Sakura didn’t have much energy after that.

“Let’s go to bed,” he whispered into her ear after they had finished.

Sakura agreed. Her eyes felt incredibly tired.

She directed him towards her room, and he walked them into her ensuite bathroom. Sakura found him an unused spare toothbrush and they brushed their teeth together, both of them eyeing each other up in the mirror, Sakura leaning onto him for support. The ritual felt strangely intimate, like they were husband and wife, comfortable with each other in the most precious and vulnerable of moments. She smiled secretly to herself as washed her face and he flossed his teeth.

When they finished, he politely excused himself from the bathroom to let her continue in private, and she wobbled very carefully over to the toilet. Once she finished, Sakura used a damp washcloth to clean up the evidence of their encounter from in between her thighs. The soreness in between her legs was a wonderful ache, the kind that told her that her body was incredibly satisfied with the night's event. She shivered as she recalled the memories.

Sakura debated whether or not she should get dressed for bed. She had never been one to sleep naked, but tonight, she thought, she’d make an exception. His sea-foam eyes trailed over her figure hungrily as she all but floated to her bed, her body excited at the thought of sleeping next to that handsome man. Gaara sat on the right side of the bed and slid into her sheets with her.

Sakura turned on her side to eye him. “Will you still be here when I wake up?”

He leaned on his elbow, looking down at her. “I won’t be going anywhere. I promise.”

Gaara kissed her forehead and then moved down to place one final kiss on her lips. “Go to sleep.”

Her eyes unexpectedly felt heavy and a weight on her consciousness suddenly appeared. She fell into a deep sleep, her mind thinking only of Gaara.

* * *

The smell of breakfast is what woke Sakura up. She sat up groggily, stretching her tired limbs into the air. The sun was filtering in through the windows bright and cheery. Halloween and the full moon now nothing but a memory.

She yawned as she looked to the spot on her bed where her bedmate should have been. The smell coming from the kitchen gave her a clue as to where her handsome stranger was.

Sakura begrudgingly stood up, searching through her dresser for something clean to wear. She put on a comfortable red satin set, identical to the pink one she wore last night, only this piece had black lace trim on the edges. The mirror showed her pink hair was in complete disarray and she smoothed it down as best she could. She tied the matching red robe around her body before marching towards the kitchen.

The strong aroma of the eggs and sausage was the first thing that hit her when she entered the kitchen. At the stove, she found Gaara in his boxers and in her father’s apron and nothing else. The scene felt wholly domestic and Sakura’s stomach flipped at the sight. She felt the urge to jump him and fuck him on her kitchen counter.

He looked up at her from his position in front of the stove. He looked dissatisfied. “You should have stayed in bed. I was going to bring the food to you.”

Sakura shook her head in disbelief. “Are you even real?”

He smirked at her, turning the knob of the oven down. “I’m real, Sakura.”

“You don’t seem real.”

The redhead slid over to her, his arms encircling her waist. “I’m very real,” he whispered close to her lips. “I promise.”

Sakura was the one to close the gap, pulling him into a long and hard kiss. His hands cradled her face, pulling her closer so that their bodies were flush against each other.

His peppered kisses onto her cheeks and nose, nosing his way towards her ear. “Would you like some breakfast?”

In response, her stomach growled for him. He smiled. 

He ushered her to sit on the island and he placed a bowl of miso soup, a plate of eggs and sausage, a peeled orange, and a cup of coffee that already looked to be filled with milk and sugar.

Gaara stood next to her and kissed her head. “Enjoy.”

The look on her face was priceless.

“Why do you look like that, Sakura? You’ve never had a man cook breakfast for you?”

She looked up at him, her mouth hanging open. “If it wasn’t obvious by the look on my face but yes, if you must know, I haven’t.”

“You deserve this. And much more.”

The blush that appeared so swiftly on her face at his words was mortifying. She decided to sip her miso soup. She averted her eyes as she whispered, “Thank you.”

He watched her eat intently and if the food hadn’t been occupying all of her attention, she would have been embarrassed by his scrutiny. She barely noticed his eyes, too preoccupied with taming her stomachs hunger. The room was silent except for the occasional sip Sakura took from her strangely perfectly prepared coffee. He had somehow poured the right amount of milk and sugar.

Sakura shook her head. The man was a wizard.

Gaara removed the apron and went about cleaning up the dishes and pots he’d use to cook as Sakura finished up her meal. When her plate was cleared, he silently took them away from her, placing them into the sink.

He stood across from her and he reached over with his hand to stroke hers.

“I realize we did this backward, but I would like to take you out to dinner tonight if you’re interested.”

Sakura nearly spits up her coffee. She coughed awkwardly, pulling her hand from his to cover her face. She always managed to embarrass herself.

“You want to see me after today?” Sakura started. “I assumed this was just a one-night thing?”

A brief look of sadness crossed his face. “Do you want it to be a one-night thing?”

Sakura scrambled, waving her hands in front of her face. “No-no-no! I don’t,” she blurted. “I just didn’t want to assume anything else would happen after tonight…”

Assuming things like this in the past had gotten her heartbroken. She didn’t want that to happen again.

He reached for her hand again. “I realize it’s only been one night, but I want to continue seeing you.”

She swallowed. “In a friends-with-benefits sort of way?”

He looked offended. “No, Sakura. I’m not that kind of man. With me, it’s all or nothing.”

Sakura could do all or nothing. She’d been surrounded by men who didn’t know the word commitment even if the word had been tattooed on their body. 

“I’d like that…” Sakura murmured. “I’d love that actually.”

A genuine smile appeared on his face. “May I cook you some dinner tonight?”

Her own smile was beaming, and she nodded her head. “Yes, that sounds wonderful.”

He kissed her hand. “A date then.”

The phone suddenly rang. Sakura picked up the phone and put it to her ear. “Hello? Oh—morning dad.” She looked up to give Gaara a sheepish grin.

She put her hand over the mouthpiece, and she whispered to Gaara, “I’m going to start a shower. Want to join me when I finish with my dad?”

He winked at her. “You already know the answer to that.”

She smiled coyly at him and she removed her hand from the phone. “Yes dad, I’m still here.”

Sakura walked out of the kitchen with the phone and towards her room, disappearing from Gaara’s sight.

Gaara hummed to himself, cleaning up the rest of the dirty dishes.

The night had gone spectacularly well—better than he expected. The ritual had gone over smoothly, and he was surprised her body wasn’t more ravenous or tired from the mystical excretion. Her rebirth had been a sight to behold. Sakura was strong. He admired that most about her.

He sipped his own coffee as he thought of her. She still didn’t remember him, but she would. He would make sure her memories of their old life together would come back to her, albeit slowly, he didn’t want to overwhelm her.

Death would never keep her from him again, as her body no longer had an expiration date. And after centuries of searching, years of heartache and loneliness without her, there was no chance in hell he’d let her slip from him once more.

Gaara smirked.

All she needed do was ask and mountains and cities would fall for her. He would write her name into the stars. He would bathe her in jewels and in riches and in strings of emeralds that matched her captivating eyes. He would give her anything she wanted so long as she gave herself to him.

Gaara knew that he would belong to her for the rest of eternity and he basked in that knowledge. And for once in his life, he looked forward to the future. A future that would now feature his cunning and gorgeous pink-haired goddess.


End file.
